1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrically activatable recording element and process for using said element comprising an electrically conductive interlayer separating (a) an electrically activatable recording layer from (b) a photoconductor layer or electrical activating means. The interlayer, herein designated an ECI layer, comprises electrically conductive particles uniformly dispersed in an electrically insulating binder.
2. Description of the State of the Art
An electrically activatable recording material and process are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,670. Production of a dye image and silver image in such a material by dry development techniques is described in copending U.S. Application Ser. No. 055,945, abandoned, of M. Lelental, filed July 9, 1979, titled "Dye Forming Electrically Activated Recording Material and Process", and commonly assigned with the present application to Eastman Kodak Company, and Research Disclosure, October 1979, Item 18627. Such an electrically activated recording element comprises, for example, an electrically conductive support, such as a poly(ethylene terephthalate) film having a cermet coating on the film, having thereon, in sequence, (a) an electrically activated recording layer comprising an organic silver salt and a reducing agent for the organic silver salt, and (b) a photoconductive layer separated from (a) by an air gap of up to 20 microns and (c) an electrically conductive layer on (b). Optionally, the electrically activatable recording layer (a) comprises, in reactive association, (A) a dye-forming coupler, and (B) an oxidation-reduction combination comprising (i) an organic silver salt oxidizing agent, with (ii) a reducing agent for the organic silver salt. The reducing agent, when oxidized, forms a dye with the dye-forming coupler. Such an electrically activated recording element enables formation of a dye image and silver image by heat processing after imagewise exposure and the application of electrical potential. It has been desirable to minimize the air gap between the electrically activatable recording layer and the photoconductor layer of an electrically activatable recording element because this enables formation of an integral electrically activatable recording element.